Lean On Me
by thegreatwhitewolf
Summary: A mission in the Pride Lands goes horribly wrong which lands Zexion on the edge of death and Axel blaming himself. Now not one, but two Nobodies could end up dead.
1. Mission

Lean on Me

Summary: A mission in the Pride Lands goes horribly wrong which lands Zexion on the edge of death and Axel blaming himself. Now not one, but two Nobodies could end up dead.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with Kingdom Hearts. If I did, things would have been much different.

Notes: This was supposed to be short. –starts laughing- Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. Well enjoy anyway. The inspiration for this is a bit whacked; I was playing Kingdom Hearts II and I was in the Pride Lands chasing the damned hyenas around trying to kill them and this just came to me. It hasn't been able to let go of me since then. It's one vicious plot bunny, let me tell you.

It's set before Castle Oblivion, though there are some events that make it slightly AU.

Sorry if it sucks at all; it's been a while since I wrote anything Kingdom Hearts so I'm a wee bit rusty. Bear with me, okay?

Part I-Mission

Axel, Roxas, and Demyx were hanging out in Roxas's room, as was their custom. Axel and Roxas were playing video games and Demyx just watched. If it had nothing to do with music, Demyx wasn't interested in playing it. He did, however, enjoy watching Axel and Roxas going at it. It was always amusing, especially when Axel started losing, although it wasn't so fun when Axel started swearing. He had a very colorful vocabulary.

Their play was interrupted by Xaldin, who appeared in the middle of the room carrying three sheets of paper with him.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Axel asked coldly.

Xaldin ignored him. "I have missions for all three of you."

"Isn't that normally supposed to be Saïx's job?" Axel asked.

"I don't know," Xaldin answered with a soft shrug. "I'm just following orders."

Roxas paused the game and he and Axel leapt to their feet to retrieve their respective sheets. Demyx dawdled a bit; it wasn't that he hated going on missions, it was just that he wasn't the best Nobody to send out on missions. After the sheets were gone, Xaldin vanished without another word.

Demyx looked down at his sheet. He was going to the Pride Lands with Zexion, Axel, and Roxas. Their mission was to turn Scar into a Heartless.

"I wonder why Xemnas didn't call a meeting about this," Roxas murmured, going over his own paper

"Probably was in the middle of a morning quickie with Saïx and didn't want to be interrupted," Axel sneered.

Roxas laughed, although Demyx did not.

"It's a three day mission," Demyx read more to himself. "Scheduled for immediate departure. This isn't going to be easy." He looked up. "Only three days to find Scar and turn him into a Heartless."

"It's not going to be difficult to find Scar," Axel said dismissively. "That's why we're bringing Zex along. He's got the best nose in the Organization. Turning Scar into a Heartless will be a bit more challenging, but that's what makes it interesting."

"An interesting sentiment, Axel," a new voice said.

Zexion suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Jeez, no one in this Organization knows how to knock," Axel muttered.

Zexion ignored him. "I suggest we depart as soon as possible for the Pride Lands. Time is, of course, of the essence here. You will not need to bring anything with you. You'll see why when we get there."

"So you've been to the Pride Lands before?" Axel asked curiously.

"Yes, I have," Zexion answered with a curt nod.

"Well good." Axel smiled. "You'll know where we're supposed to be going then."

"Yes," Zexion agreed. "Now come on. We only have three days to find Scar and turn him into a Heartless and we need every second we can get."

He held out his hand and created a portal. They stepped through one by one.

They found themselves in what looked to be an African savannah. It was an arid and dusty place with no sign of water for miles. Everything was dead. There was no vegetation and no sign of life. The only signs that living things had ever existed there were skeletons of various animals. There was no flesh, no muscle, nothing besides bones bleached even whiter by the blazing sun.

Above everything else, it was hot. And dusty. The dust got everywhere, into every orifice and every crevice imaginable. Suddenly, it was obvious why they were never sent here on missions; it did not matter enough for them to care about what happened to this land. Why the Superior had sent them here now was unknown.

"Cheery place," Axel muttered.

Zexion glared at him.

Their bodies had been transformed, taking on the forms of lions. Axel was the biggest, a fully-grown adult male with russet fur, and a thick bright blood red mane. His eyes were jade. Roxas and Zexion were both smaller, Roxas with golden fur and vivid blue eyes and Zexion with stormy grey fur and cerulean eyes. Both of them only had a small amount of mane growing. Demyx was mid-sized with golden brown fur and a golden mane. His eyes were sea green. They retained many of their human-like qualities in their facial structure, so it was easy for anyone who already knew them to recognize them.

"We're…lions," Axel said in disbelief.

"Yes Axel. Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Zexion snapped. "It's an instantaneous thing—our bodies change at once to fit into the world. I thought you knew that."

"I was never sent to the Pride Lands. So sue me," Axel retorted. "I did know already that everyone here was lions. I just didn't know we would become lions as well. No one who had been there mentioned this little detail either."

"Not many of us have been to the Pride Lands," Zexion admitted. "It's a land we try and avoid for many reasons. It's not a very important place. I'm not sure why the Superior has suddenly sent us here to convert Scar into a Heartless."

"Right. So who is this Scar guy anyway?" Axel said.

Zexion shook his head and muttered something about the ignorance of certain Organization members.

"Scar is the leader and has been such since the death of the previous king, Mufasa in a stampede several years ago. The king's son, Simba was also "killed" in the stampede and since Scar was Mufasa's younger brother and there was no other heir, Scar became king," he explained.

"So we've gotta get rid of the king?" Axel asked. He shook his head. "Yeesh. Guess things just got even tougher."

Zexion rolled his eyes.

"So where are we going?" Axel asked.

"I'm not exactly sure," Zexion answered. Axel groaned softly. "Scar is always on the move. There are several places he could be."

Axel groaned again.

"Stop whining like a pitiful dog, Axel. You're a _lion_. Act more like a feline," Zexion chided. "I am going to look for him. Stay out of my way."

Axel walked over to where Demyx and Roxas were waiting several feet away.

"Jeez, Zex is acting bitchier than normal," he said under his breath.

Zexion glared at him from afar for a moment before turning around. He started sniffing the ground and then the air.

"Looks like he's adjusted well to having four legs," Axel muttered.

"Yeah, lucky him," Roxas said sarcastically.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to having four legs," Demyx complained, trying to move around without tripping, something he was not quite successful at.

"Well the only way we're ever going to learn how to run around on four legs is to practice," Axel said.

He ran over to Roxas and tackled him playfully. Roxas growled in annoyance and forced Axel off him. They started rolling around in the dirt. Demyx mostly watched Zexion interestedly as he sniffed around, obviously looking for a fresh trail. He looked so professional, not like Axel and Roxas.

After a few minutes, Zexion trotted over to them, looking immensely satisfied.

"I'd hate to interrupt your play time, but I found a trail," he said. Axel and Roxas immediately stopped rolling around and got up. "I'll take the lead. Axel, follow behind. Demyx is in the middle. Roxas, take the rear. Stay alert and keep a lookout for the hyenas. They're usually lurking around these parts."

"How are we supposed to fight?" Axel asked. "We can't exactly summon our weapons on four legs."

"You're a lion. Get creative," Zexion snapped. "And be quiet. You want to alert the enemy to our presence?"

Axel grinned cheekily. "I didn't know this was a stealth mission."

Zexion just glared at him.

They continued on, crossing the hot terrain. It should have burned their paws, but luckily, their bodies were well suited for such conditions.

Without any warning, Zexion was thrown to the side. He yelped and then fell silent.

"Zexion!" Demyx cried.

He and Roxas started running toward him. By the time they reached him, he was already getting up.

"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head.

He looked up and assessed the situation.

Axel was standing between him and the thing that attacked him—a lion. Actually, scratch that, it was two lions. There was one full-grown adult male and one that was still a cub. The older one didn't appear to be very friendly; he growled at Axel, who repaid him in kind with his own growls. Since when had Axel been so fierce?

The older lion had golden fur and a blood red mane. The younger lion looked nervous for some reason. He was a small fellow, with chocolate brown fur and deep blue eyes. Also with them were a white bird of some sort that Zexion couldn't identify, and a turtle. They looked out of place.

Roxas stepped forward. "Uh…hi." His voice was friendly.

The older lion snarled at him. Axel snarled back.

"They aren't going to hurt us. Relax Simba, okay?" the younger lion said, his voice filled with nervousness.

The older lion named Simba didn't look convinced. The cub ignored him and stepped forward, smiling.

"Hi. My name is Sora," he said. "These are my friends Simba…" He gestured to the older lion with his paw. "Donald…" This time he motioned to the strange bird. "And Goofy." The turtle inclined his head politely.

Zexion noticed that Axel had recognized the name as well, but did well to hide his surprise. Axel was always a hard one to read. Even now, Zexion wasn't sure he could trust the redhead. Saïx seemed to, but Zexion still wasn't convinced. Axel was too good of an actor, too hard for Zexion to read.

Obliviously, Roxas stepped forward. "I'm Roxas. The red lion is Axel, the other blond one is Demyx, and the little silver lion is Zexion."

"I'm not _that_ small, Roxas," Zexion huffed under his breath.

"I don't trust you," Simba growled. "You're awfully defensive." He gave Axel a pointed look.

"Well that's because you sort of attacked one of their guys without any warning," Sora said. "They didn't do anything. They have a right to be defensive."

"He's right. I'm sorry." Simba backed down at last.

Axel relaxed as well, although he and Simba still looked at each other suspiciously. Zexion was glad at least one of them was on their guard.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Simba asked. "I've never seen you before in the Pride Lands."

"Oh we're just passing through," Axel answered casually.

It was remarkable the sudden change Axel had undergone. One minute, he was on alert and the next, he was back to his relaxed self. That was one reason Zexion did not trust Axel completely; his duality made him dangerous. He could go from being completely relaxed to incredibly tense and alert in a split second. There was no telling what Axel was thinking. Zexion liked to be able to read people because that was something he was good at, but he never was able to read Axel. It made him uncomfortable.

"We live a long ways away," Axel continued.

Zexion observed something in Sora's eyes, almost as if he recognized that they did not come from this world, much like himself. He was intelligent, that boy, and that was dangerous. Hopefully, he could be kept from the truth, or Roxas would face serious repercussions. They could _not_ afford to lose Roxas.

"What are you doing here then?" Simba asked.

"We're paying the king a visit," Axel answered carefully.

"What could you possibly want from _him_?" Simba was not able to hide the disdain in his voice.

"Oh, so you aren't happy with him either." Axel caught the hatred in Simba's voice. "That's good. Then I guess you won't mind if we take him down."

Simba looked surprised. "Why do you want to get rid of Scar?"

"Why not?" Axel shrugged his lion shoulders. "Word around here is that he's not the greatest king."

"You'd better be careful what you say about him." Simba looked around furtively. "His spies are everywhere."

"Thanks for the tip," Axel said sincerely. "So have you seen him lately?"

"The last I knew, he was in the elephant graveyard. He and his hyena buddies have taken to hanging out there. Be careful; Scar is a very tricky opponent."

"All right. We'll keep that in mind," Axel said. "Well, we'd love to stick around and chat, but we need to get going."

"Wait," Sora unexpectedly spoke up. "Maybe we should work together and take Scar down. We want the same thing, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm afraid I have to decline your offer," Axel said politely. "No offense but we work better alone. All right?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded sadly.

They said goodbye to the two lions and the bird and turtle who had not said a word since they met and padded off. They waited until they were very far way before daring to say anything.

"That was close," Axel muttered.

"He seemed…familiar for some reason," Roxas mused.

Axel glanced worriedly at Zexion and Zexion gave him a pointed look.

"He wasn't anyone important," Axel smoothly lied. "You should just forget about him, all right Roxas?"

Zexion made a mental note that another thing that made him not trust Axel was that he knew how to lie, and was _good_ at it.

"Okay," Roxas reluctantly said.

They continued for a while, although their light was starting to fade away little by little.

"We should probably stop for the night," Zexion said, coming to a halt. "It's getting dark and there's no way we can continue our search once the sun has gone down."

The others nodded and they found a small empty cave to use as a shelter.

"Hey Zex, I just thought of something," Axel said.

"_Zexion_," Zexion corrected harshly. "What is it?"

"What are we going to do for food?" Axel asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Zexion asked coldly. "We must hunt for food like lions would do."

"Aw you gotta be kidding me!" Axel protested. Zexion glared at him. "Shit. Has it ever occurred to you that none of us have ever hunted before in our lives?"

"Of course Axel." Zexion stared at him levelly. "You, Roxas, and Demyx have never hunted before, but I have. Remember, I've been here before. I am well acquainted with the land. This means I have hunted before. I'll take one of you out to hunt with me since it is much safer to hunt in pairs rather than solo."

The others nodded.

"Since you are so enthusiastic, Axel, you can be the one to help me hunt," Zexion continued with a wry smile.

"What? No way!" Axel protested at once.

"You dare question a superior's order?" Zexion asked coldly.

"Are you making it an order?" Axel challenged.

"Yes," Zexion answered.

He and Axel stared at each other for a few minutes before Axel finally conceded.

"It's hardly necessary for me to say this, but stay here, all right?" Zexion told the others.

Roxas and Demyx nodded silently. At least they were competent at following orders. Zexion shook his head. He would have rather taken Roxas on the hunting trip, but Axel was the much more logical choice, despite the fact that Zexion would rather avoid being in the redhead's company if possible. Axel was much larger than any of them, so he would have no trouble dragging back whatever they happened to find, be it an antelope, a zebra, or whatever else they happened to find. Zexion was hoping that they actually found something to eat; the lands were barren and the herds had all pretty much moved on. They were going to have to be extremely lucky to find something now, but they had to try.

"Hey Zex," Axel rudely interrupted Zexion's train of thoughts.

"It's _Zexion_," Zexion seethed.

"I know." Axel smiled rather wickedly.

"Let's go," Zexion said, deciding not to even bother arguing with Axel; the redhead could be quite stubborn.

Axel seemed to know that he had won because he wore a huge triumphant grin. Zexion tried to ignore him.

"Okay teach, what's first?" Axel asked, obviously enjoying tormenting Zexion.

"First, be quiet," Zexion hissed under his breath. "You'll scare away anything within thirty miles if you continue talking that loud."

"Got it." Axel nodded.

"There really isn't much to hunting. You have to be as quiet as you possibly can so you don't startle whatever you're hunting. Also, try and stay down wind so the prey doesn't catch your scent. The most common things to hunt are zebra and gazelles. They're very large beasts and speedy, especially the gazelle. The most logical thing to do is try and target the weakest of the herd because they won't be as fast and will have a harder time escaping. Other than that, the only thing you can really do is let your instincts take over. The lion body comes with all the hunting instincts in place."

Axel nodded silently.

"Now to find a herd," Zexion muttered. That was the real trick.

He sniffed the air expectantly, but did not find any sort of scent.

"Anything good?" Axel questioned.

Zexion shook his head. "It appears they have moved on from this place to more fertile grounds."

"So what now?" Axel looked worried.

"We must move farther south," Zexion answered.

"What about Roxas and Demyx?" Axel asked.

"They should be all right for a while on their own. They know how to take care of themselves," Zexion answered neutrally. "We won't be going that far."

"But it's _Demyx _we're talking about. You know what that entails, don't you?"

"Yes, Axel, however you shouldn't be quick to judge," Zexion simply replied. "Now come."

"Yes sir."

Zexion gritted his teeth and led the way through the barren wasteland. For many miles, there was no trace of a scent. Fortunately, the lion's body was well equipped for long distances so they did not tire as they traveled. As they went farther south, they began to see signs of life. First it was just short, stubby grass, followed by trees with healthy green leaves. Then they saw a couple bodies of water.

Finally, Zexion caught a scent and stopped. Axel waited patiently as Zexion sniffed the air.

"What's on the menu?" Axel asked with a grin.

"Gazelle. I estimate about twenty of them. Survivors from the drought, I warrant," Zexion answered.

"Damn, your nose is good. A lot better than mine," Axel muttered.

Zexion ignored this. "Now, make sure you are absolutely quiet…"

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it memorized," Axel said in a bored tone.

He stalked forward. Zexion hung back, deciding to only intervene if needed. True, he could hunt, but, like fighting, he wasn't very good at it. He was better at reading and storing information. Besides, he wanted to see how Axel would do with hunting on his own. He knew that Axel was a formidable fighter; he had been on several missions with the redhead so he had seen firsthand Axel wielding his chakrams. This was a completely different situation, but Zexion had no doubts that Axel would act in a very similar manner.

As Axel drew closer to the herd, Zexion followed at a safe distance. Axel kept low to the grass, moving incredibly slow so his movements wouldn't be heard. The gazelle were none the wiser. Suddenly, Axel pounced. He moved gracefully, fluidly, like he had been doing it his whole life. The gazelle took off running and they were swift runners, but Axel was also swift. He was incredibly powerful as he ran, matching the pace of the gazelles with ease. Zexion saw his intended target, one of the largest and healthiest gazelles of the pack.

_He never listens to me._ Zexion thought with contempt. _He is never going to catch that gazelle._

He was stunned as Axel leapt and landed on top of the gazelle. He brought it down with ease and snapped the neck. When he had finished, he dragged the gazelle back to where Zexion was waiting.

"How was that?" Axel asked, grinning cheekily as he dropped the dead gazelle by Zexion's feet.

"That was pretty good," Zexion admitted. "I wasn't expecting you to be able to take down the largest and most healthy gazelle of the herd and yet you took him down so easily."

"Hey, you should never doubt me because I'm that great!" Axel looked incredibly snug.

Zexion shook his head. "Let's get this back to Roxas and Demyx before we attract any attention."

"Right," Axel muttered. "Can you estimate how far away we are?"

"I'd say a good fifteen miles or so," Zexion answered.

"Fuck. How the hell are we going to get this carcass back to them without attracting any attention whatsoever?"Axel groaned.

"We'll do the best we can," Zexion said grimly.

They started dragging the carcass through the savannah. Amazingly, they didn't meet a single creature on their way back to the cave. When they arrived, they heard low growls from deep within the cave.

"Hey Roxie," Axel called out. "It's just us!"

There was movement and then Roxas slowly came out, followed by Demyx.

"It's you," Roxas said in disbelief.

"Yeah. We're back," Axel replied. "We brought food too."

"I see that." Roxas stared pointedly at the dead thing behind Zexion and Axel.

"What is it?" Demyx asked.

"I think a better question to ask is 'what was it'?" Roxas said.

"Yeah." Demyx smiled. A worried look crossed his face. "Will this be enough to feed all of us?"

"It should be sufficient," Zexion answered. "I'm not eating any of it."

"Aw, come on, it's not that bad," Axel said.

"Have you forgotten?" Zexion asked coolly. "I don't eat meat."

"Oh yeah." Axel looked surprised. "I forgot."

"What will you do for food then?" Demyx asked worriedly.

"I won't do anything," Zexion replied. "I'll be fine until we return to The Castle That Never Was."

Demyx didn't look convinced. Axel was the first to step forward and start feeding. Roxas soon joined him. Demyx reluctantly hung back.

"What's wrong?" Zexion asked, frowning. "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"I don't know," Demyx answered. "It doesn't look quite edible to me."

"I know," Zexion agreed. "You need to keep your strength up, though. It's going to be a tough battle against Scar."

"The same is true for you, isn't it?" Demyx asked. "You're a part of this too, aren't you? You're going to need to fight too."

"I'm not going to be much help." Zexion shook his head. "I'm not very handy in a fight. That is why Axel, Roxas, and you were sent on this mission. I was only sent because I could track Scar."

"I'm not very helpful in a fight either," Demyx said sadly.

"You will be fine," Zexion assured him. "Xemnas would not have sent you on this mission if he had doubts about your abilities in battle."

"I'm not so sure." Demyx shook his head.

"Eat," Zexion encouraged softly. "Don't think about what you are eating."

"I'll try," Demyx murmured.

"Hey Demyx, come on," Axel said through a mouthful of gazelle. "Better get some while there's some here."

"Before you eat it all you mean," Roxas added.

Axel rolled his eyes. Demyx slowly moved forward and started eating from the hind leg of the gazelle. He made a face.

"Oh, that's nasty," he said, pulling away. "That is just vile."

"Yeah, I know," Axel replied. "But we gotta eat it. We don't have a choice."

"It's making me feel sick," Roxas muttered.

"You're doing good," Axel encouraged. "Just don't think about what you're eating."

"Oh that helps. That helps so much," Roxas said sarcastically.

Demyx swallowed a bit more meat and turned away. "I can't eat anymore."

"Me either," Roxas agreed. "It's going to make me sick if I eat much more of this. It's not that it bothers my stomach, but it's just the thought of eating this that makes me feel sick."

"Yeah, I agree," Axel said with a nod. "We didn't really eat that much."

"What should we do with the rest of it?" Demyx asked, staring at the partially eaten gazelle in front of them.

"Just leave it," Zexion ordered. "Some other animal will find it and take care of it. That's what happens in this place."

"Well I don't envy the bastards," Axel muttered.

"I wholly agree with you," Zexion said, staring at the dead meat in disgust.

* * *

The next morning, they continued on their journey. By midday, they had arrived at the elephant graveyard, which was even more barren than the plains. The ground was dry and cracked in many places and there were a large number of dead trees. Large rock formations rose all around them and made the land uneven. The land was littered with massive elephant skeletons, which would have made a nice home for smaller animals if there were any left in this desolate place.

"Okay, so what's our plan?" Axel asked, turning to Zexion. "You're the most senior member so you get to come up with our plan."

Zexion nodded. "The best thing to do is to hunt down the hyenas and question them about Scar's whereabouts."

"And what if the hyenas aren't willing to cooperate with us?" Roxas asked, his fuzzy forehead wrinkling into a frown.

"There are other means of persuasion available to us if need be," Zexion answered in a neutral tone.

"Exactly." Axel grinned sadistically.

Zexion shook his head and started sniffing the air. Even as a lion, he had the most acute sense of smell of the group. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the scents he detected, blocking out the ones that didn't matter, such as the smokiness of Axel and Demyx's ocean scent.

Finally, he picked up three faint scents that he knew belonged to the hyenas. There was no mistake; the repugnant odor was one he had smelled before, the first time he had visited the Pride Lands. That had been when they only numbered eight. He had been sent with Lexaeus to scout out the land. He remembered because Xigbar had grumbled about being forced to stay behind to help Xaldin train the two new recruits—Isa and Lea who would later be known as Saïx and Axel.

The others were watching him. Zexion shook his head and brought his thoughts back to the present moment. It would not do for him to be distracted now. Distractions caused the chances of mistakes being made and they could not afford to make any mistakes.

"Well Zexion?" Axel asked quietly. Did he know Zexion had been thinking about him?

"This way," Zexion responded.

He led them through the rocks, gracefully leaping down one large ledge. As they got to more open grounds, the scents got much stronger. It wasn't much farther.

Then, they saw them; the three hyenas lounging in a wide, flat area, warming themselves in the noon sun. Roxas let out a low growl. It was nothing more than an instinctual response; the lions and the hyenas had never been on the friendliest of terms.

"Shh," Zexion hushed him. "We cannot let them know we're here."

"But aren't we on a friendly visit?" Axel asked.

"Well, yes, but they don't know that. If we appear to them too soon, we'll scare them off. Then we'll have to chase them," Zexion responded.

"So what do we have to do then?" Axel asked.

"Let them catch our scent. Then slowly approach them," Zexion replied.

The hyenas' heads suddenly rose. They had been alerted to their presence. Their ears pricked up and they turned in the direction of where they stood. Then, they got to their feet and took off running.

"Shit," Axel muttered.

"After them! After them!" Zexion shouted. "Don't let them get away! Corner them! We need to interrogate them, which usually works best when they are alive. So no killing, Axel."

"Aww." Axel pouted. "I was looking forward to roasted doggie from hell."

"Go! Split up! It'll be faster that way," Zexion ordered.

"And what if we manage to capture one?" Demyx asked.

"I doubt you'll be able to corner one on your own. We'll need to work as a team. Now go!" Zexion answered harshly.

They split up. Zexion ran as fast as his little body could muster. He wished fervently that he were larger so he would have more speed. He was not built for fighting and he was not built for running fast. At least he wouldn't have a hard time finding the hyenas; they could run, but they could not hide their scent. They had split up, which was the most reasonable thing for them to do. It would make it harder for Zexion to track them. He decided to focus on one and hopefully lead it toward Axel and the others.

He continued running, following the scent he had chosen. It looped around the elephant graveyard again and again, twisting and turning through all sorts of obstacles. Finally, Zexion got a glimpse of the hyena he was following; one of the two males. Zexion gritted his teeth. It was the smart one; there were two males to his knowledge as well as one female. One of the males was normal, but the other was mentally retarded. It wasn't even able to speak so capturing it would not be helpful. However, it was going to be difficult to corner the male; he was dominant and highly aggressive. He couldn't be picky though. He would have to deal with his choice.

The hyena stopped for a moment and turned around. Checking to see if he was still being followed. When he saw that he was, he started running again. Zexion groaned under his breath and started chasing it again. It was his least favorite thing in the world. He wished above everything else that the stupid hyena would just hold still.

He was more intelligent than that, though. He knew that there was zero chance of the hyenas ever holding still on their own so he had to make them stand still. Somehow. He needed to find a way to corner the hyena, cutting off any escape route. As he chased the hyena around and around the elephant graveyard—the hyena went on the same path, he started taking in his surroundings, making a mental note of the formations, and starting to formulate a plan. By the third lap around the elephant graveyard, he had a solid plan in mind and he was ready to put it into action.

He had seen a large rock face that would be perfect for trapping the hyena. All he had to do was get him there. He changed his path slightly and steered the hyena toward the rock face. The hyena nearly ran into the wall and stopped. He turned around and realized that he was trapped. Zexion slowly moved forward, always cautious. His ears flattened and he bared his teeth at the hyena, growling low in his throat. The hyena also bared his teeth at Zexion, loud growls coming from his chest.

For the longest time, they stared at each other. Neither of them seemed to want to make a move. Then, the hyena lunged. Zexion hadn't anticipated this move and stepped back. The hyena landed on him, snapping at his neck. Zexion twisted around so his vital points would not be a target, baring his teeth.

They started wrestling, their movements not at all playful like Axel and Roxas's had been. Now it was a fight to survive. Zexion wasn't intent on killing the hyena, but he wanted, no he _needed_ to survive. Zexion managed to wiggle free of the hyena. He was planning to escape now—it was getting far too dangerous for him. He was not a fighter. He needed to get away and regroup with the others. He tried to run, but the hyena blocked his movements.

"And where do you think you're going?" the hyena asked. Zexion did not answer. "You know, I'm pretty hungry. I haven't had anything to eat for a couple days now. My favorite dish is lion cub and hey, look at this. There's a lion cub right here in front of me."

Zexion suddenly had a very bad feeling.

_This could turn very ugly fast._ He thought.

The hyena licked his lips. Zexion backed away, the cogs turning in his brain. He needed to think of a way out of the situation. It looked like the only choice he had was to fight in order to survive.

_So be it._ He thought.

He hated fighting and generally avoided it as much as possible, letting others do the dirty work for him, but if he was forced in a fight, he could hold his own pretty well. He was not the strongest fighter, but he could at least stand his ground. The hyena leapt at him, teeth snapping. Zexion dodged the attack and retaliated with a swipe of his own.

If he could just distract the hyena long enough to escape…

He was forced out of his thoughts when the hyena started coming at him again. He narrowly dodged the hyena's teeth. A low growl left Zexion's chest. It was purely instinctual. He didn't wait until the hyena had regrouped before launching another attack. He missed and nearly slammed into the rock face. The hyena came after him with a mighty leap and Zexion was barely able to dodge. He wasn't going to be able to keep this up much longer.

Suddenly, he became aware that he was being watched by an outside party. He risked a glance up and saw Demyx standing atop a small rock cliff, eyes wide in horror. He couldn't say anything; the hyena was fixated on him and had not been alerted to Demyx's presence. How on earth was he supposed to tell Demyx to run and find Axel and Roxas? There was no time to wonder; the hyena leapt at him again, slamming him into the rock face.

Demyx normally did not like fighting. He hated it, in fact, but when he saw the hyena throw Zexion into the wall and the small lion did not get up again, something inside him snapped. Low growls escaped from deep in his chest and before he really knew what he was doing, he dashed ahead, his growls becoming louder. The hyena turned just as Demyx reached him and, with a mighty leap, tackled him to the ground.

The hyena easily shook him off, but he was up in a heartbeat. Adrenaline rushed through his system. He had no heart, but if he had, it would have been beating fiercely in his chest. He leapt at the hyena again, snapping at its neck. It twisted around, its teeth bared. Demyx was relentless, attacking again and again.

Finally, the hyena seemed to have enough. It limped off. Demyx glared after it, but didn't chase; his attention was on Zexion's crumpled form. He gave a soft cry and ran over to him.

"Zexion! Zexion!" he called urgently. "Wake up!" there was no response. He nuzzled Zexion, but still received no response. He realized after a few moments that Zexion was bleeding. This wasn't good.

"Well, well, well." A new voice chuckled malevolently. "What do we have here?"

Demyx looked up.

It had just gotten worse.

Standing there was Scar, flanked by all three of his hyena goons, including the one Demyx had previously run off. How Demyx knew that the lion he was staring at was Scar was beyond him. He just _knew_ somehow.

As Scar and his hyena goon squad came closer, Demyx stepped in front of Zexion's still form. He wasn't the strongest fighter in the Organization and he knew it, but at least he'd go down fighting.

He wasn't quite sure what happened next—all he saw were blurs of two shapes, one large, the other smaller. A deafening roar filled the air. Axel. When had he and Roxas arrived? They now stood on either side of Demyx, their gazes piercing.

"There are more of you?" Scar asked. "What fun!"

Axel snarled. Demyx had never seen him so enraged before. He decided at that moment that it was probably a good idea to back off, which he did immediately. He circled around to Zexion's side. He tried to get Zexion to wake up again by nuzzling him.

"Zexion, please wake up. Please," he begged softly. Finally, he got a response, a faint whine. He nuzzled Zexion again. He received another whine. Then, Zexion stirred slightly. "Come on Zexion. Please." Zexion raised his head for a few moments, then slumped back to the ground. "Damn."

Another loud roar filled the canyon and Simba came charging. Behind him were Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Scar looked stunned to see Simba.

"Mufasa?" he whispered, taking several steps back. "No, you're dead!" Then, he seemed to recognize who he was looking at. "Simba?"

Simba only growled in response. He charged forward and took on Scar. Sora, Donald, and Goofy took the hyenas.

Suddenly, Sora turned to them. "Go! Get back to wherever you came from. We'll take care of Scar and the hyenas!"

Axel looked like he was going to protest, but he looked at Zexion and then nodded. He and Roxas came over to Demyx as Sora and the others chased Scar and the hyena goon squad out of the graveyard and followed.

"How is he doing?" Axel asked.

Demyx could see he was visibly fighting to remain composed. He shook his head. "I haven't been able to get much of a response out of him. He's barely even breathing. And he's bleeding pretty badly."

Axel shook his head. Suddenly, a large number of Shadows spawned in front of them. "Oh, you've fucking gotta be _kidding_ me. Why now?"

"They're Heartless," Roxas said flatly. "They have no sense of timing."

Axel would have laughed—if the situation hadn't been so dire.

"What are we gonna do?" Demyx asked worriedly.

Axel thought for a moment or two. "Run like hell."

"But what about Zexion?" Roxas asked.

"I'll take care of him," Axel answered. "You and Demyx gotta run. Now!"

"What about the mission?"

"Fuck the mission! We've gotta get Zexion out of here now or he's gonna die." Axel spat. Roxas shrank back at Axel's rage. The Shadows started swarming. "Run! Make a portal!"

Roxas nodded and darted forward. He held out his paw like he was holding out a hand and a portal appeared in front of them. Somehow, they managed to get Zexion through. Several Shadows followed them through the portal before it vanished.

The four Nobodies collapsed in a tangled heap, sweating and panting back in the Castle That Never Was. Then, Roxas sprang up as the Shadows swarmed and took his Keyblade to them. They turned to ash at once. Once they were gone, he collapsed anew, sweating and panting. It was okay. Everything was okay. They had safely reached The Castle That Never Was and the Shadows had been eliminated. They were okay.

* * *

Notes: No, that's not the end. There's a lot more coming. As soon as I write it. :P If there are any mistakes, I apologize. It's late and I'm too tired to go back and proofread. I wasn't going to post this until it was finished, but that didn't really work. Not sure when the second part will be posted.


	2. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Kingdom Hearts nor am I making any money by writing this.

* * *

Part II—Aftermath

"I take it the mission didn't go well?" a voice asked, amused.

Three sets of eyes looked up to see Xigbar standing above them.

Axel gasped and suddenly remembered Zexion, momentarily forgotten in the confusion of arriving back at The Castle That Never Was. He untangled himself from the heap and took hold of Zexion, pulling him into his lap. Now that he was back in his human form, Zexion looked a hundred times worse. His hair fell across his face like a curtain and the visibly half was nearly translucent in the fluorescent lights. His breathing was faint, coming through cracked lips with a faint wheeze. His clothes were damp and when Axel pulled his hand away, he found blood on him. The source was a large gash in his side. His left side was badly damaged and Axel could feel the broken bones, a thought that made him shudder inwardly.

"Fuck," Axel muttered. His breath caught in his throat as Zexion suddenly moved around, his body spasming as he began coughing violently. His lips were spotted with blood. "Oh fucking hell!" He looked up at Xigbar, who stared at him one eye wide in horror. "Get Vexen! Get Vexen!"

Xigbar nodded and vanished through a portal. Axel turned to Zexion, who was still coughing, even worse than before. Even more blood spotted his lips. Axel reached up and gently wiped the blood away. A portal appeared in front of him and Xigbar stepped out, followed closely by Vexen and Lexaeus. Both their eyes widened, though only Vexen spoke.

"Lexaeus, alert the Superior." The Chilly Academic's voice was low, anxious. Lexaeus vanished without a word. "Xigbar, gurney."

"Right." Xigbar vanished through a second portal that remained open.

Vexen kneeled down next to Axel and Zexion and started examining the injured Nobody. Zexion finally stopped coughing up blood, but he did not appear to be breathing. Moments later, Xigbar brought a gurney through a portal.

"Be careful," Vexen said, watching as Xigbar stooped down to pick Zexion up. "We don't know the full extent of his injuries yet."

"Got it." Xigbar nodded and gently laid Zexion on the gurney. Then, he turned to Roxas and Demyx, who stood there staring with wide eyes, not really sure what to do. "You two with me."

Vexen turned to Axel as the red-haired Nobody got to his feet, now covered with blood. "No, you come with me. I need to know exactly what happened so I can properly treat Zexion's injuries."

Axel nodded absently, too stunned by what he had just witnessed and followed Vexen through another portal.

Xigbar pushed the gurney carrying Zexion to the edge of the portal, then stopped as he realized Roxas and Demyx had not moved. "Come on. I'm gonna need your help."

Finally, both seemed to snap out of their daze and trotted forward to follow Xigbar through the final portal.

They ended up in one of Vexen's examination rooms, the larger of the two. Xigbar directed them to a corner where they were to thoroughly wash their hands and put on gloves and smocks. They readily obeyed as Xigbar, already prepped, wheeled the gurney to the table in the center of the room.

When Roxas and Demyx came over, Xigbar had maneuvered Zexion from the gurney to the table and switched on the overhead light, bathing Zexion's body in bright light. The injuries looked even more gruesome and both Roxas and Demyx had to fight the urge to vomit.

"You're going to do exactly what I say, all right?" Xigbar said, his normally jovial tone serious for once. Roxas and Demyx both nodded. "Demyx, go over to the cart on the far side of the room." Xigbar pointed to the opposite corner. "The cart is on wheels. You should have no problem bringing it over." Demyx nodded and went to get it. "Roxas, take Zexion's boots and socks off. Be as gentle as you can and try not to touch his left leg. I think it's broken. I'll handle his cloak."

Roxas tried to keep what Xigbar had said in mind as he struggled with Zexion's boots and socks, but it was no easy task. Zexion gave several whimpers even in his unconscious state.

"I'm sorry," Roxas whispered., though he wasn't entirely sure Zexion could hear him.

Xigbar finally wrestled the zipper of Zexion's cloak down after some trouble and much cussing, revealing a pair of black dress pants and a white button-up shirt drenched in blood. Demyx brought the cart over and when he saw all the blood, his face paled dramatically.

Xigbar saw. "Go into the other room and get some towels, okay?"

Demyx nodded and hurried out. Xigbar rifled through the drawers until he produced an IV bag and a needle.

"If you don't like needles, then I suggest you look away," Xigbar said. Roxas nodded and stared at the opposite wall until Xigbar said, "It's okay to look now."

Roxas turned back around. Xigbar had hooked Zexion up to an IV and placed a breathing mask over Zexion's nose and mouth. Now, he was rummaging through the drawers again. When he straightened up, he had a pair of scissors that he used to cut away Zexion's shirt and pants, revealing even more blood.

Demyx returned with the towels and he paled even more at the sight.

"Leave the towels on the top of the cart and go to the waiting room down the hall. You won't be much good if you're fainting," Xigbar said. Demyx nodded and headed for the door. "Hold on." Demyx stopped. "Go find Vexen. He should be in his office." Demyx nodded again and vanished. Xigbar turned to Roxas. "What about you? You okay?"

Roxas swallowed hard and nodded. "I'll be okay."

"Good," Xigbar said. "I need you to get gauze—fourth drawer down. Put it on the gash on Zexion's side. Press down firmly, but not too hard to try and stop the bleeding. You think you can do that?"

"Yeah." Roxas nodded. He found the gauze and pressed it to the huge gash. It quickly filled with blood.

Demyx finally brought Vexen back. Lexaeus trailed behind.

"Roxas, what on earth are you doing?" Vexen demanded.

"He's helping me," Xigbar explained, looking up from whatever he was doing at Zexion's head. "I needed the extra hands."

"Very well." Vexen looked satisfied with Xigbar's answer. "Lexaeus, go wash up and take Roxas' place." Lexaeus nodded and headed for the row of sings in the corner. "Demyx, you may go to the waiting room down the hall." Demyx vanished without a word. Vexen walked over to where Roxas stood. "That's good. Keep the pressure on. I'll get you some more gauze." Vexen brought him more gauze from the drawer and joined Lexaeus at the sinks.

When the Silent Hero finally came over, he had stripped off his outer cloak and replaced it with a smock and swapped his standard Organization gloves with rubber gloves.

"I've got it now," Lexaeus said softly. "You can go to the waiting room too."

Lexaeus took over Roxas' position, freeing the blonde. He was glad to leave the room; the adrenaline that had been pumping through his system was finally wearing off and the shock he had felt was wearing off. It was finally sinking in what had happened.

He barely made it to the waiting room and collapsed in the first chair. Demyx was there, looking as queasy as he now felt. They were soon joined by Xaldin, who looked like he was in an exceptionally bad mood.

"Do you know what's going on?" he snapped.

"No," Roxas snapped back, not in the mood to be on the receiving end of Xaldin's rage merely because he was there. "As soon as Vexen came back, we got kicked out."

Xaldin collapsed in one of the chairs, exhaling loudly. Suddenly, he looked years older.

"Do you know where Axel is?" Roxas asked.

"Axel is being questioned by the Superior," a new voice said. Saïx stepped out of a portal, though all of them had been too distracted to notice. "The Superior wants to see you two immediately." Demyx and Roxas sprang up and followed him at once. They were surprised when Saïx held out a hand to stop them. "The Superior will see you one at a time, starting with Demyx."

Roxas nodded and backed away as Demyx disappeared into the swirling portal, followed by Saïx. With a light sigh, Roxas resumed his seat.

Not five minutes later, another portal appeared and Axel stepped out, looking immensely drained. He collapsed in the seat next to Roxas without a word. Xaldin scowled at his presence, but didn't say a word.

"It's all my fault," Axel croaked after a long interval. "If we hadn't split up…"

"There was no way to tell that was going to happen," Roxas interrupted.

"I still failed," Axel muttered. "I should have protected Zexion better."

"Zexion was the one who suggested we split up," Roxas pointed out. "And he was your superior."

"Zexion may have seniority, but I'm still older than him. Since I was the oldest, I had the responsibility of taking care of the rest of the group."

"We're all to blame," Roxas said softly.

They were silent until Demyx came back. Roxas rose and disappeared through the portal Demyx had created.

"Did you tell Xemnas about Sora?" Axel asked once Roxas was gone.

"Yeah," Demyx answered.

Xaldin lifted his head from where he had been cradling it in his hands. "Sora was there?"

"Yeah." Axel nodded. "He was the reason we were able to get out of the Pride Lands in one piece. He and his buddies distracted Scar and the hyenas, allowing us to escape."

"Xemnas was not wise to send Roxas on the mission," Xaldin said.

"I know," Axel agreed. "Things could have gotten even messier than they already had. I would have sent Roxas back pronto, but then I would have had to spill the beans."

Demyx was not as naïve as the others seemed to think. He knew there was a connection between Sora and Roxas, he just didn't know what.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, hoping to gain some more information about the situation.

"It's nothing," Axel snapped.

"I don't believe you. There's something you're hiding from me, isn't there?" Demyx said, shaking his head.

"There's nothing. Just drop it, okay?" Axel hissed.

"All right," Demyx said reluctantly and didn't press the matter further.

They sat in silence for a long stretch of time until Roxas came back through a portal.

"The Superior wants to see Axel again," he said.

Axel sighed and got to his feet. "It must be time for me to receive my punishment."

He vanished through the portal Roxas made, closing it behind him. Roxas took the seat Axel had vacated and glanced at Demyx. The Melodious Nocturne's face showed the same amount of nervousness he felt. Hopefully, Axel's punishment wasn't going to be too severe. It hadn't been anyone's fault things had turned out the way they had, least of all Axel's. How was he supposed to know that Zexion would be cornered by all three hyenas and then Scar would show up? The Superior needed to blame someone, so he was blaming Axel.

Roxas blew out a stream of air through his teeth, effectively creating a hissing sound. Demyx reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze. Don't worry, he seemed to say with this wordless gesture, we'll get through this somehow. And in spite of everything that had happened, Roxas smiled.

* * *

Lexaeus finally came out, peeling off a surgical mask from his face. At once, Roxas and Demyx were on their feet. It felt so good to be up after countless hours of sitting in those stiff, uncomfortable chairs. Xaldin was slower to rise. He was concerned for Zexion, yes, but he hadn't seen what Zexion looked like when he was brought in, not like Roxas and Demyx.

Lexaeus never lost his calm disposition as he said, "Zexion is stable, but his injuries are extensive. He'll be on the disabled list for a long time."

"What exactly is wrong with him?" Roxas asked.

He was surprised when Lexaeus looked grim. He was always so calm, and never showed any sort of emotion. He kept it all inside him and never lost his calm exterior. Roxas felt a sense of foreboding. Whatever was wrong with Zexion had to be bad, if _Lexaeus_ was upset.

"The entire left side of his body was crushed except for his head and neck, which were only bruised. He suffered from a lot of internal injuries and bleeding as well as external bleeding from his side, which was badly torn and required stitches. He paused and sighed softly. "Vexen doesn't know when he's going to wake up." Demyx and Roxas shared brief looks of horror before Lexaeus continued, "Vexen has restricted visitation, but you can go in briefly to see him if you want."

Roxas and Demyx both nodded. Lexaeus brought them into the recovery room where Vexen was flitting around the only occupied bed in the critical wing.

When he finally moved out of the way, Demyx and Roxas both gave low gasps of horror. Neither of them was sure what to expect, but it was _bad_. Zexion was hooked up to several machines and there were tubes running everywhere. He wore a neck brace, keeping his head straight and his left hand was in a cast. His left leg was also in a cast, kept elevated by a pile of pillows. He looked so young, so fragile.

A soft gasp caused Roxas and Demyx to turn. They hadn't noticed Xaldin follow them in and now he stood, staring at the horrific sight in front of him. After a few moments, he stepped forward and whispered the unconscious boy's name. In a tender moment that was so unlike him, he reached out and gently touched Zexion's uninjured hand.

"Oh fucking hell." The new voice caused all of them to turn.

Xaldin's eyes narrowed and he let go of Zexion's hand. "You shouldn't be here. _You_ were the one who put Zexion here in the first place."

Axel didn't argue. "I know. I just wanted to make sure Zexion was doing all right."

"You're not wanted here! Now leave!" Xaldin snarled.

Hurt, Axel turned away. With one hand, he reached out and created a portal. He looked so dejected, so defeated as he stepped through the portal. Roxas quickly made up his mind and chased Axel through the portal before it closed.

They ended up in Axel's room, which was in its usual state of disarray. Axel stood with his back to him.

Roxas cautiously stepped forward. "Axel?"

Axel turned. There were tears in his eyes. Roxas stepped forward more.

"It's going to be all right," he said softly.

Axel shook his head. "Rox, there's a chance that Zexion isn't going to wake up. If he doesn't…well let's just say things won't be good for me."

"Zexion _will_ wake up," Roxas murmured, unwilling to make himself believe Axel's words. "He's strong."

"I hope so," Axel said. He sat on the edge of his bed. "I'm already in a lot of trouble as it is. I'm still going to be punished whether Zexion wakes up or not."

Roxas joined him on the bed. "What is your punishment so far?"

"So far, I'm being put on lockdown for two months and during that time, I'm stuck on cleaning duty and kitchen duty with Xigbar," Axel responded.

"It isn't fair," Roxas said. "Demyx and I aren't being punished and you're being blamed for everything."

"It's all right," Axel replied. "I'm totally to blame for what happened. If you want to argue with the Superior, then you can do it. I don't recommend it, though; Xemnas is already pretty pissed off. Arguing with him might make it worse."

Roxas nodded. The last thing he wanted to do right now was piss off the Superior even more. "I'm going to go see where Demyx got off to."

"All right," Axel said. "It's probably for the best. The other members probably won't like it if you and Demyx hang out with me—I'm irresponsible and a bad influence."

Roxas bit his lip. It was horrible to hear Axel sound so dejected. Normally, the red-haired man was the most enthusiastic Nobody in the Organization, aside from Demyx, of course. It made his stomach hurt. He opened a portal to the hospital wing and stepped through, allowing it to close behind him.

Demyx wasn't there.

Roxas turned to Lexaeus, who was still by Zexion's side. "Do you know where Demyx went?"

"His bedroom." Came the simple answer characteristic of Lexaeus.

"Thanks," Roxas said and hurriedly created a portal that led him right outside Demyx's door. He knocked and fidgeted impatiently while he waited for a response.

Finally, Demyx opened the door. "Yeah?"

"We need to talk," Roxas said. Demyx let him in.

"What's up?" The Melodious Nocturne asked, closing the door.

"I'm worried about Axel," Roxas replied. Before Demyx could respond, he continued, "His confidence took a huge hit today. The others are looking down on him, so he's starting to look down on himself. We need to be supportive and help him through this."

Demyx nodded. "I totally agree. I know Axel would do the same for either of us."

"Yeah," Roxas said softly.

* * *

Several days passed. Zexion didn't get any better, but he didn't get any worse either. His absence was noticed by everyone, even by Xion, who hadn't been a member of the Organization for very long. Demyx and Roxas visited him whenever they could, whenever Vexen would let them.

And he had yet to wake up, which had everyone concerned.

Demyx spent more time with Zexion than Roxas; the blonde had other things to worry about. He thought Zexion liked it, though Vexen disagreed. Despite all of Demyx's efforts and protests, visitation remained strict.

He got one ally, though, a surprising one.

"I think you are correct," Lexaeus said to him one day as he left the hospital wing, kicked out by Vexen yet again.

Demyx stopped walking and looked at Lexaeus, confused. "What?"

"I've noticed a difference with Zexion. After he is visited by someone, he seems to get better, but after visitors have been banned, he seems to get worse. Vexen does not believe social contact with others has any effect on the healing process, but I believe Vexen still has much to learn. Will you come with me?"

"Come with you where?" Demyx asked, still really confused.

"To the Superior's office," Lexaeus answered. "To present my findings. I believe of all the Nobodies, you have the greatest effect on Zexion, that is, it's most noticeable when you are around. I think having you around will help Zexion's recovery will go quicker."

"You love him, don't you?" Demyx suddenly asked.

Lexaeus shook his head. "Even if I were capable of feeling that emotion that is not how I would feel about Zexion. He is like a son to me. I was…much older than him when we first met. I was in my thirties and he was eight. We adopted him and raised him the best we could. That's all I've ever seen him, as my son."

Demyx was surprised Lexaeus was telling him this. The elder members, who had spent the most time together before coming Nobodies never talked about their previous lives. Demyx never would have expected to hear it from Lexaeus, the least talkative of the group. He felt honored that Lexaeus had opened up to him, trusted him with this knowledge. And he knew exactly how to repay him.

"Let's go see the Superior," he said.

Lexaeus created a portal and the two of them stepped trhough. They were right outside Xemnas' office. Lexaeus knocked.

"It's me, Superior. May I speak to you?" he said.

"Yes, of course Lexaeus." Came the reply. "Come in."

Lexaeus opened the door and they went in. As was customary, Xemnas sat behind his massive desk, looking incredibly intimidating. Lexaeus, however, wasn't intimidated.

"There's something I need to discuss with you," he said, stepping forward. "Vexen has restricted visitation to Zexion and I don't think it's what's best for him."

"Why do you say that?" Xemnas asked, looking at Lexaeus curiously.

"I have noticed that when Demyx visits him in the hospital wing, he seems to do better and after he leaves, he seems to do worse." Lexaeus gestured at Demyx. "I don't think it's just Demyx, but he appears to have the most effect on Zexion. I believe that Demyx, and everyone else, should be allowed to visit him without any restrictions."

"If it's what best for Zexion, than I will agree. However, I would like proof before I agree, all right?" Xemnas said.

"All right." Lexaeus nodded. "I will get you proof."

He created a portal and stepped through, Demyx following. They ended up in the hospital wing outside the critical ward, where Zexion lay.

Once the portal closed, Lexaeus stopped walking and rubbed his forehead. "Xemnas always enjoys making things difficult."

Demyx was surprised that Lexaeus, of all Nobodies, was speaking ill of the Superior. He'd expect that sort of talk from Marluxia, but not Lexaeus. Apparently, the relationships between the original six members of the Organization were a lot more complicated than first appeared.

Lexaeus looked around. "Now where did Vexen go?" Without waiting for a response, he walked off.

Demyx stayed where he was, not really sure what to do. Moments later, he heard raised voices. Curious, he listened to what they were saying.

"I don't agree with this!" Vexen shouted.

"You do not have a choice." As always, Lexaeus was calm.

"Still…" Vexen protested. "We're taking a huge risk."

He appeared in the doorway, followed by Lexaeus, and brushed past Demyx without a word.

"Even," Lexaeus growled.

Demyx's breath caught in this throat as he realized that Lexaeus was calling Vexen by his Other's name. And he had never heard Lexaeus sound so angry before. Vexen stiffened at the name and didn't say anything.

"It is what's best for Zexion," Lexaeus continued. "The Superior wants proof and if I can get it, he will agree to lift the visitation restrictions. Do you dare go up against the Superior?"

"Of course not!" Vexen hissed. "I would never dream of disobeying his wishes."

"Then don't." Lexaeus was unusually stern.

Vexen clearly didn't approve of being spoken to in this way, but didn't protest further.

"Very well," he muttered.

Lexaeus turned to Demyx. "You'll report here tomorrow at your convenience. Stay as long as you want. All you have to do is visit him like you normally do. Leave the rest to me. Understand?" Demyx merely nodded.

* * *

The next morning, Demyx showed up in the hospital wing. Vexen glowered at him when he arrived, but allowed him to enter Zexion's room in the critical ward.

Demyx had to wince when he first set eyes on Zexion. He looked even worse than the last time Demyx saw him. If it was possible, he was hooked up to even more machines. All the color had been drained from his body until his skin looked almost transparent. Thin lips were pressed together into a sort of frown. His breathing was regulated by a machine and the hissing sound from the machine made Demyx feel sick. There were less bandages now and Zexion no longer wore a neck brace, but large purple bruises stood out against the pale skin of his neck.

Demyx felt another wave of nausea and choked it back. He had to be strong, for Zexion's sake. He drew in a deep breath and stepped forward. He reached out and gently touched Zexion's uninjured hand. Even through his gloves, he could feel that Zexion's hand was icy.

"Oh Zexion," Demyx breathed.

He reached out and gently brushed Zexion's bangs aside so he could see the Cloaked Schemer's face. He had never realized how young Zexion was. He thought back to what Lexaeus had said.

"_I was…much older than him when we first met. I was in my thirties and he was eight._"

Zexion never publicly celebrated his birthday, just like the other founding members, so his real age was unknown. Demyx thought for a few moments.

_Based on what I know, I'd say he's about nineteen now, twenty tops._ He thought, staring at Zexion's pale face. _He's the second-youngest member, if I remember correctly from Xigbar's big mouth. He was the youngest until Roxas joined and I was the second youngest. So he's at least between fourteen and twenty-two. _

Demyx sighed softly and settled himself in for a long day.

* * *

A/N: Ugh, this is turning out to be way longer than I thought. I'm splitting it up again, so instead of three chapters, there are now going to be four. I decided that I needed an entire chapter of Axel and his angst at least instead of just a couple paragraphs or a brief mention. He deserves much more than that so that's what he's going to get.

I'm butchering Xigbar's name. First I typed: "Zitbar" and then "Xigbat." Oy.

Like I mentioned before, this is a bit AU because of Sora's arrival in the Pride Lands. I was a bit hesitant to include him, but decided that it was okay, and went with it.

I know Xion joined the Organization at about the same time as Roxas in 358/2 Days, but as I said before, there are some events that make this slightly AU. So just deal with it.

I totally just added in a reference to Naught But Ash. Didn't plan it at all, especially since I started writing this before Naught But Ash, but I'm thinking of interconnecting the two stories so this may end up in the Naught But Ash canon.

I had fun with Lexaeus in this. ^^ Just like I had fun with Aeleus in the first chapter of Naught But Ash.

Sorry this chapter took so long to finish. I was uninspired/unmotivated. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to finish.

And if there any typos, I apologize. I only briefly glanced at the chapter and didn't do any careful proofreading.


End file.
